May is Mental Health Awareness Month. But if we’re being honest, awareness is the easy part.
The hard part is what happens when someone finally works up the courage to ask for help. When a parent realizes their child is struggling in a way they can’t fix on their own. When a neighbor, a coworker, or a friend quietly reaches a point where they know they can’t keep going the way they have been.
kAmx? E9@D6 >@>6?ED[ A6@A=6 ?665 :?DFC2?46 4@G6C286 E92E H@C<D H96? E96J C6249 @FE 7@C 96=A]k^Am
kAm|6?E2= 962=E9 :D 6DD6?E:2= 962=E9[ 2?5 E9:D >FDE 36 C67=64E65 :? 9@H :?DFC2?46 4@G6C286 H@C<D :? C62= =:76] ~G6C E96 A2DE 76H J62CD[ E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 x?DFC2?46 s6A2CE>6?E 92D 2AAC@24965 E9:D :DDF6 H:E9 E92E C62=:EJ :? >:?5]k^Am
kAm%9:D 92D >62?E DEC@?86C 6?7@C46>6?E @7 >6?E2= 962=E9 A2C:EJ =2HD[ H9:49 C6BF:C6 :?DFC2?46 4@G6C286 7@C >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6 E@ 36 EC62E65 72:C=J 2=@?8D:56 4@G6C286 7@C A9JD:42= 962=E9 42C6] x7 2? :?DFC2?46 A=2? >2<6D :E 62D:6C E@ 86E EC62E>6?E 7@C 2 A9JD:42= 4@?5:E:@? E92? E@ 2446DD E96C2AJ @C @E96C 3692G:@C2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D[ E92E :D?’E ;FDE 2 A2A6CH@C< AC@3=6>] xE 42? 364@>6 2 C62= 32CC:6C E@ 42C6[ 2?5 H96? :E G:@=2E6D >6?E2= 962=E9 A2C:EJ =2HD[ E96 s6A2CE>6?E H:== 24E]k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 A2DE J62C[ E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 x?DFC2?46 s6A2CE>6?E 92D E2<6? 6?7@C46>6?E 24E:@? H96? :?DFC2?46 42CC:6CD 92G6 72==6? D9@CE[ :?4=F5:?8 :DDF:?8 7:?6D H96C6 2AAC@AC:2E6] %9@D6 42CC:6CD C6>2:? F?56C 4@CC64E:G6 24E:@? A=2?D E@ 6?DFC6 E96J >2<6 E96 C6BF:C65 :>AC@G6>6?ED] pE E96 D2>6 E:>6[ E96 s6A2CE>6?E 92D 2=D@ D66? >62?:?87F= AC@8C6DD] ~FC DE2E6’D =2C86DE 962=E9 :?DFC6C[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 92D 6=:>:?2E65 4@\A2JD 2?5 565F4E:3=6D 7@C 49:=5C6? C646:G:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 D6CG:46D[ 2? :>A@CE2?E DE6A E@H2C5 C65F4:?8 32CC:6CD 7@C 72>:=:6D D66<:?8 42C6]k^Am
kAm%96 s6A2CE>6?E 92D 2=D@ H@C<65 E@ C65F46 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 56=2JD E92E 42? DE2?5 36EH66? A2E:6?ED 2?5 42C6] %92E :?4=F56D 96=A:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 AC@G:56CD 86E 2AAC@G65 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? :?DFC2?46 ?6EH@C<D >@C6 BF:4<=J 2?5 6IA65:E:?8 AC:@C 2FE9@C:K2E:@? C6G:6HD] (96? E96D6 DE6AD >62? D@>6@?6 42? D66 2 AC@G:56C :? H66<D :?DE625 @7 >@?E9D[ :E >2<6D 2 C62= 5:776C6?46]k^Am
kAm(6’G6 =:DE6?65 4=@D6=J E@ >65:42= AC@G:56CD[ 72>:=:6D[ 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ @C82?:K2E:@?D] (6’G6 962C5 23@FE =@?8 H2:E=:DED[ 4@?7FD:?8 4@G6C286[ 2?5 DJDE6>D E92E 766= 92C56C E@ ?2G:82E6 H96? J@F ?665 E96> >@DE] x? D@>6 42D6D[ E96 s6A2CE>6?E 92D 2=D@ DE6AA65 :? H96C6 @C82?:K2E:@?D E92E D6CG6 72>:=:6D 2?5 49:=5C6? 92G6 72465 :?DFC2?46 492==6?86D E92E E9C62E6? E96:C DE23:=:EJ[ :?4=F5:?8 5:77:4F=EJ 7:?5:?8 277@C523=6 =:23:=:EJ 4@G6C286]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 H6’G6 >@G65 :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@?[ @FC ;@3 :D 72C 7C@> 7:?:D965]k^Am
kAm%96 x?DFC2?46 s6A2CE>6?E H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 6I2>:?6 2?5 6?7@C46 >6?E2= 962=E9 A2C:EJ D@ :E :D ?@E ;FDE 2 4@>A=:2?46 C6BF:C6>6?E @? A2A6C[ 3FE 2 AC@E64E:@? A6@A=6 42? C6=J @? H96? E96J D66< 42C6] x? DFAA@CE @7 v@G6C?@C pJ@EE6’D AC:@C:EJ E@ :>AC@G6 2446DD E@ >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6[ H6’C6 =2F?49:?8 2 >2;@C 677@CE E@ C65F46 25>:?:DEC2E:G6 3FC56?D 24C@DD E96 DJDE6> 7@C AC@G:56CD 2?5 :?DFC6CD 2=:<6] %96 8@2= :D E@ DEC62>=:?6 AC@46DD6D 2?5 3C:?8 5@H? 4@DED H9:=6 AC6D6CG:?8 D2768F2C5D 2?5 BF2=:EJ] p DJDE6> E92E :D 62D:6C 7@C AC@G:56CD E@ ?2G:82E6 :D @?6 E92E H@C<D 36EE6C 7@C A2E:6?ED]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F @C D@>6@?6 J@F =@G6 ?665D 96=A[ E96C6 2C6 2 76H AC24E:42= DE6AD E92E 42? >2<6 E96 AC@46DD 62D:6C]k^Am
kAm$E2CE 3J 42==:?8 E96 ?F>36C @? E96 324< @7 J@FC :?DFC2?46 42C5 2?5 2D<:?8 7@C :?\?6EH@C< 3692G:@C2= 962=E9 AC@G:56CD H9@ 2C6 2446AE:?8 ?6H A2E:6?ED] x7 E96 =:DE :D @G6CH96=>:?8[ D2J D@ 2?5 2D< 7@C 2DD:DE2?46]k^Am
kAm&D6 J@FC :?DFC6C’D H63D:E6 E@ D62C49 7@C AC@G:56CD[ 7:=E6C:?8 7@C 3692G:@C2= 962=E9 2?5 2G2:=23:=:EJ] *@FC AC:>2CJ 42C6 AC@G:56C 42? 2=D@ 96=A 4@??64E J@F]k^Am
kAmpD< 23@FE E6=6962=E9] xE’D 4@>>@?=J 4@G6C65 2?5 42? 6IA2?5 J@FC @AE:@?D]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F 42?’E 7:?5 96=A @C :7 D@>6E9:?8 5@6D?’E 766= C:89E[ 42== E96 x?DFC2?46 s6A2CE>6?E 2E We_bX af`\aae`] *@F 5@?’E ?665 E@ <?@H 6I24E=J H92E E@ D2J[ J@F ;FDE ?665 E@ C6249 @FE] (6 42? 96=A]k^Am
kAmpE E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ >6?E2= 962=E9 42C6 :D?’E 23@FE C68F=2E:@?D @C C6A@CED] xE’D 23@FE E92E >@>6?E[ E96 @?6 H6 @7E6? 5@?’E D66[ H96? D@>6@?6 564:56D E@ 2D< 7@C 96=A]k^Am
kAm(96? D@>6@?6 C62496D @FE 7@C 96=A[ E96 DJDE6> D9@F=5 36 C625J E@ >66E E96>] %92E :D E96 DE2?52C5 vC2?:E6 $E2E6CD 56D6CG6[ 2?5 :E :D E96 DE2?52C5 E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 x?DFC2?46 s6A2CE>6?E H:== 4@?E:?F6 H@C<:?8 E@ FA9@=5]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.